Multifamily Housing and Rental Market Trends by Jay Parsons
Jay Parsons: Apartment construction starts closely linked to future rent growth
There is a clear correlation between apartment construction starts and future rent growth. Jay Parsons said this is particularly relevant now, as higher-quality data sources—other than ...
Apartment List data shows rents rising again, Jay Parsons notes
Apartment List has become the latest apartment tracker to show that rents are growing again, following similar reports from Realpage and CoStar. Jay Parsons noted that this alignment among the ...
Jay Parsons: U.S. rental housing supply cools as demand stays strong in rental market
Apartment absorption in the U.S. is set for its third-strongest year in modern history, with rent growth reaching a three-year high. Jay Parsons observed that, contrary to the intended effect of ...
Apartment demand outpaces supply in 20 MSAs in 2026, Jay Parsons notes
Demand for apartments has surpassed supply so far in 20 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in 2026. Jay Parsons reported that, despite this development, most markets still have high vacancy ...
Jay Parsons: Apartment occupancy and rents improve but capital markets remain stagnant
Apartment occupancy and rents are showing improvement, but capital markets are not following suit. Jay Parsons said that under typical conditions, better fundamentals would result in increased ...
High rates and labor shortages could affect rent inflation, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons said that the combination of high interest rates and a construction labor shortage does not help keep rent inflation low. Parsons noted that rent inflation accounts for approximately ...
Jay Parsons: Buying a house should be based on desire, not as a primary financial investment
Jay Parsons advised that individuals should purchase a home because they want to, rather than considering it primarily as a financial investment. Parsons also credited Aziz for applying a more ...
Low Income Housing Tax Credit turns 40 amid scrutiny, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons marks the 40th anniversary of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit this month, observing increased criticism of the program. Recent debates question whether the credit is simply a ...
Jay Parsons: Apartment demand in 2026 is third-highest after 2021 and 2024
Jay Parsons reports that year-to-date apartment demand in 2026 ranks as the third highest on record, following only 2021 and 2024, according to data from CoStar. He also notes that strong home ...
Headline rent growth rises while monthly rents cool, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons examines the recent focus among apartment data analysts on base effects, which help clarify why headline rent growth, measured year-over-year, is increasing even as month-over-month ...
Jay Parsons: Low Income Housing Tax Credit primarily benefits low-income renters
Jay Parsons challenges the common criticism that the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) acts as a giveaway to developers rather than benefiting low-income renters. Parsons states that more ...
Apartment starts stay low with rising costs and tight equity, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons highlights ongoing challenges in the apartment construction sector, noting that new starts remain subdued with no indication of a near-term rebound. According to Parsons, a recent ...
Jay Parsons: Demand rises for bargain-priced apartments after WSJ coverage
Jay Parsons observed a surge of interest among potential investors searching for bargain-priced apartments following a recent Wall Street Journal article. He commented on how news coverage ...
Single-family rental rents are growing slowly in 2023-24, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons observes that despite widespread predictions from housing experts, rents for single-family rentals did not spike following the jump in mortgage rates in 2023-24. Instead, year-to-date ...
Jay Parsons: Apartment sector shows quasi-stability in 2026 after prolonged volatility
Jay Parsons highlights that for apartment investors and operators, 2026 stands out as the first year since 2019 to unfold mostly as anticipated. While not a major rebound, the period appears more ...
Centerspace and IRT combine to reach 44k units, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons reports that Centerspace and IRT, two apartment REITs with a presence in the Midwest, Sun Belt, and Mountain regions, are merging. With a combined portfolio of 44,000 units, the new ...
Jay Parsons: U.S. apartment rent growth hits 4-year high amid supply decline
Jay Parsons highlights that year-to-date apartment rent growth in the U.S. has reached a four-year high, although it remains below normal levels. He adds that this growth trend aligns with a ...
Gen Z perspective attracts new audiences on economic topics, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons highlights the rise of a Gen Z voice bringing attention to basic economic realities in a compelling way. According to Parsons, this fresh approach is resonating with audiences who ...
Jay Parsons: Rent concessions in apartment market often resemble MSRP tactics
Jay Parsons argues that rent concessions in the rental market are often a mirage, similar to how the manufacturer's suggested retail price, or MSRP, is used by car dealers. According to Parsons, ...
Nearly one third of American renters cannot afford operating costs, Jay Parsons notes
Jay Parsons raises concerns about the financial burden facing American renters. Nearly one third of renters in the U.S. are unable to cover the operating costs for a typical rental, according to ...
Jay Parsons: Increased supply of market-rate apartments drives rent declines in affordable units
Jay Parsons points to evidence that increasing the supply of market-rate apartments is the most effective way to improve rental affordability. Parsons notes that in metropolitan statistical ...
